Small Steps
by Spindelhona
Summary: Thee chapters about the small and trivial progress Tsuruga Ren cherish so much. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I claim nothing. Skip Beat is not mine to own. **

During this fan fiction I will alter between referring to the characters by first and last name, with and without –san, –chan and -senpai. This is because I want the reader to feel close or distanced to the characters depending on the situation. If it's too annoying, please tell me.

**SPOILER WARNING! This fan fiction takes place after chapter 136 of the manga, so if you, unlike me, dislikes spoilers and haven't read so far, there's a handy arrow that'll lead you away from the dark fate of having a story spoiled**.

WHEN JEALOUSY STRIKES

Hikaru Ishibashi, the short but handsome leader of Bridge Rock, could not sleep. Being 20 heading for 21 and already famous he could've easily called for company and turn the unpleasant insomnia to an all-nighter of fun, but his mood simply wouldn't allow it. And it was all Kyoko-chan's fault.

Hikaru turned over on his right side, eyes focused on absolutely nothing and everything. He and Kyoko had been co-workers for a rather long time now and he had been attracted to her almost as long. Not only because he found her cute, but because he really liked her personality. Hard-working but not compulsive, true to her emotions but also aware of other persons feelings she was. That combined with the pure, innocent vibe she gave off was completely irresistible to Hikaru. He had asked her out multiple times for lunch, dinner, coffee and even offered her a ride home, but every time Kyoko politely shot him down. That's why Hikaru up until this day had been able to keep his affection for her at bay, knowing his feelings weren't welcome. After all, there were many other girls out there with the same qualities, girls that wouldn't decline his offers for the world.

But then Kyoko showed him a completely new side of herself and lightning struck him hard and bad.

Hikaru remembered his frantic heartbeats and the rising panic seeing Kyoko falling down the stairs and the shock he felt when she altered direction and thus avoided his aid. He had been riled up and thus unable to focus. Otherwise he wouldn't ever had promised Kyoko not to investigate the matter further... or would he? Was that due to his panic or had he actually been seduced into a hasty promise?

Turning over again Hikaru stared at the ceiling. His memory assured him that he really saw what he saw, but... how could that sexy, alluring woman be _Kyoko-chan_?

He wanted to see her again, that woman. But he wanted to see the girl Kyoko too. He wanted them both! Uh, that... he wanted to _see_ them both.

Hikaru sighed. He knew he shouldn't try to get involved with Kyoko-chan. Every employee at LME had been warned about the two girls from the Love-me-section before working with them, so that no one would be offended by them due to their lack of "love". But that was a long time ago and.... frankly... Hikaru wanted to give it a try.

Kyoko-chan would be shooting scenes for "Dark Moon" tomorrow, that much Hikaru knew. Director Ogata was an acquaintance of his since he had been interviewed in "Bridge Rock" and Hikaru knew he wouldn't mind having him on set. Resolved, Hikaru nodded to himself. If time permitted it, tomorrow he would go visit Kyoko. And as soon as his mind was made up, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

**=========Skip to my Ren, my darling. =========**

"And cut! Well done, everybody! Let's continue after lunch."

Director Ogata dismissed his crew with a smile and turned his attention towards the dark figure looming in the other end of the room. It was a pleasure to see Kyoko-san "go out" of Mio and return to her original goofy state of mind, a pleasure he shared with many of her co-stars – although they felt more relieved than anything else. Now the darkness quickly reverted into itself and dissolved, brightening both the room and the mood until Kyoko-san stood shy and smiling where the introvert Mio just had been. And, just as director Ogata knew he would, Tsuruga-san had already excused himself from his conversation with Momose-san and was heading towards his... charge? ... under the all-seeing, supervising eye of his manager, Yashiro-san. Director Ogata saw Kyoko-san light up at the sight of Tsuruga-san and soon they were both involved in a lively and seemingly pleasant conversation. While talking they moved across the room, their party joined by Yashiro-san halfway through. Ogata-san smiled to himself and waited for the next move in the ballet.

"Director Ogata. Thank you for the good work!" Kyoko said with a polite bow. "Will you be joining us for lunch today?"

Ogata looked at the calm, smiling faces of the trio and knew that a matching smile had already plastered itself in his face. Days like these, when everything went smoothly and nothing was amiss between Kyoko-san and Tsuruga-san, were the best.

"Thank you, Kyoko-san. And yes, I do believe I will." Ogata-san replied. This would be a pleasant lunch, he was sure.

The quartet had almost reached the lunchroom when suddenly a familiar voice called from behind:

"Excuse me! Ogata-san! Kyoko-chan!"

The whole group turned as one and saw a young man come running towards them grinning broadly.

"Hikaru-san!" the before mentioned pair said in chorus, both surprised but quite happy.

"Hikaru-san?" Tsuruga-san mumbled to himself, wondering who the young man might be. Yashiro-san immediately turned his focus towards his ward to make sure he wouldn't miss any leaking emotions he could use against Ren later on.

Hikaru broke his run into walking and joined the group, his eyes focused on his friends but often darting towards Tsuruga-san. He had not expected him to be in company with Kyoko, that he had to admit. Oh, well...

"Ogata-san, I'm sorry to bother you like this. But I had some time off and I just wanted a change of scenery. Would it be imposing of me to ask if I may be a bystander during your filming today?" Hikaru said as casual as he could, knowing he was asking for a lot.

"Time off? But Hikaru-san, you and Bridge Rock are always busy. Can it be that something has happened?" Kyoko butted into the conversation before Ogata could answer, immediately worried that someone of her dear colleagues would have fallen sick. Tsuruga-san knitted his eyebrows and mouthed "Bridge Rock?" to himself, knowing he recognized it from somewhere. Yashiro-san on the other hand knew the show very well, but wondered how it could be that Kyoko-san knew the group's leader so well that he was allowed to call her "Kyoko-_chan_".

Hikaru laughed awkwardly and said: "No, well, actually, our manager made a mistake and double-booked us this afternoon. Then we made a mistake and cancelled both the appointments, leaving us with nothing to do. It's quite embarrassing..."

It had been easily done, though Hikaru suspected his colleagues knew of his foul play.

Ren there and then decided he did not like this young man very much. They should have been able to solve the situation and pull off at least one of the assignments during this day, but instead this man chose to impose on other people's time and space. Pointedly he looked at his watch, noticing there were only 45 minutes left of lunch. Director Ogata saw his movement in the corner of his eye and took the hint.

"Well, Hikaru-san, it's not just for me to decide who's allowed on set. The actors must have their say in the matter too. But just now we're heading for lunch. If you haven't eaten yet, would you care to join us?"

The answer was a sudden, strange noise, sounding almost like a toy bird singing. Yashiro-san, Ren and Ogata all stood perplex to the noise. Hikaru-san however had heard it before and knew what it was. He laughed heartily.

"Even if I wasn't hungry – which I am – I think it's for the best that Kyoko-chan gets something to eat. Or am I mistaken, Kyoko-chan?"

The three other men turned towards the blushing girl who tried her best to fade into the none-existing background. Ren narrowed his eyes. Calling her "chan", knowing the sound of her hungry stomach... This "Hikaru-san" from "Bridge Rock" seemed to know quite a lot about _his_ Kyoko. And since Ogata-san had already invited him... keeping your enemies close and all that...

With a sudden radiant smile appearing from nowhere, Ren spoke up: "Then, Hikaru-san, since we'll be dining together. I'm Tsuruga Ren and this is my manager, Yashiro-san. Pleased to meet you." And he offered his right hand and took a step forward, cleverly forcing Kyoko to step aside and fall in slightly behind him. Stunned, Hikaru took his hand but could barely give it a shake before Tsuruga turned around, pulling Kyoko along with him. "I'll lead the way to the lunchroom" Tsuruga added over his shoulder, the same smile still on his face.

The three remaining men couldn't do much but follow the couple, Yashiro-san with a sense of dread in his chest, Hikaru-san overwhelmed and Ogata-san harboring a nagging feeling that their lunch wouldn't be so pleasant after all.

**======Skip to my Ren, my darling. ======**

Tsuruga Ren sat dejected in his couch in his silent, tidy, rented home. If he had owned one of those clock going "cuckoo" every hour, that clock would soon cuckoo eleven times. It was too late to be out walking, too late to eat something, too late to take a calming shower and too late to call Mogami-san.

Not that he could be sure she would answer, not after today.

Ren sighed heavily. He'd done it again, hadn't he? Despite knowing he couldn't afford to scare her again...

Something ate away at his heart, or so it felt. It was probably his own stupidity coming to finish the job.

The lunch had been seemingly pleasant – for someone watching from a distance. The ugliness started from the point where both Ren and Hikaru had tried to pull out a chair for Kyoko- not the same chair – to make her sit next to themselves. For some reason Kyoko totally missed this, though, and decided on a whole different chair on her own, placing her between Director Ogata and Yashiro-san. Which of course meant that Ren and this Hikaru-san ended up sitting next to one another. And as if this Hikaru's way of calling Ren's beloved Kyoko-chan wasn't bad enough, he also asked her about still being on a diet and inquired about her right hand still being hurt or not. None of these matters were something Ren himself knew anything about and it was obviously news to the rest of the company as well. Kyoko assured them all her hand was almost completely healed and said something vague about "stumble" and "accident". But while she did so, Ren clearly saw Hikaru-san narrow his eyes and slightly shake his head, as if he knew she was lying. To make matters worse, Kyoko managed to keep her and Hikaru's connection hidden throughout the entire meal. And Yashiro's information about Bridge Rock Ren had been given later on didn't shed any light on just how the two had come to know each other. All Ren knew for sure was that Hikaru had left the party after lunch with the words: "I'll see you next week, then, Kyoko-chan!".

He had been jealous and frightened, that much Ren could admit to himself. But since no one but Yashiro knew about his feelings, could that really excuse his following behavior?

He had been distant and cold on the way back to the set, something he could explain with "needing to get back into character". But him staring disapprovingly at Kyoko throughout her scenes, causing her to become more and more nervous and getting NG:d like never before, that could not be neatly covered up. When Director Ogata finally decided to switch over to another scene not including Mio Kyoko had tried to approach him, clearly wanting to make amends for whatever sin she had committed.

_And WHAT did I do then?_ Ren reminded himself, wallowing yet again in this horrible memory.

Ren turned his face away, a sigh of disappointment escaping his lips, freezing Kyoko on the spot. That was bad enough in itself, but...

And then WHAT did I do?

... to turn his back on her and purposely ignoring her for the rest of the afternoon, pretending he was preoccupied with the scenes, the script, anything - that was worse. And seeing her rapidly sinking into a pit of despair equal to his own had been a cruel pleasure he now felt horrible about. But it wasn't until Kyoko hours later came to bid him farewell and thank him for todays work that Ren really spoiled his own happiness.

"Uh, Tsuruga-senpai… I'll be leaving, so thank you for today's good work." Despite her bowing politely, Ren could see that Kyoko dreaded the moment she would have to raise her head. And when she did, her agonized eyes were immediately filled with fear, confirming Ren's suspicion about him looking as murderous as he felt.

"Ah, Tsuruga-senpai, I – !!!"

"Mogami-san." Causios of his actions, Ren replaced his murderous look with a pleasant smile. "I really hope the state of your right hand wasn't worsened by today's work. Since **NONE** of us knew about it, we might have unconsciously made the damage worse."

Kyoko's eyes had gone wide, as had Yashiro-sans.

"Now, wait, Ren-!" the manager objected. Ren ignored him and continued, his ever-pleasant, false smile still glowing.

"After all, anyone would feel bad about hurting someone even by mistake. That's why it's for the best to tell about injures, obstacles and such, in order for work to go smoothly. Don't you agree, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko lowered her head and fought her emotions. "I – that – it wasn't that much of an injury and during that time – I...".

"If you say so. Good day then, Mogami-san." Ren interrupted her and left Kyoko there confused, scared and ashamed.

To say that Yashiro was upset would be the understatement of the year. Not to mention the careful question director Ogata had posed to him during a phone call later that evening, all tied together with the unspoken wish of Ren to please be a little kinder in the future.

Ren sighed and rose from the couch. He might as well go to bed, it would be as pointless to do as just sitting around like he did now. Just as pointless as anything would be from this moment on. Kyoko would never open up to him again.

He had ruined everything just because he once again had felt left out. Because he once again had let his jealousy take the better of him.

To be continued....

Question: Is this too much Out of Character? Please, tell me. My intention is not to annoy loyal fans of SB.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat. I do not own the precious life in my womb either, but both brings much joy to my life.**

During this fan fiction I will alter between referring to the characters by first and last name, with and without –san, –chan and -senpai. This is because I want the reader to feel close or distanced to the characters depending on the situation. If it's too annoying, please tell me.

**SPOILER WARNING! This fan fiction takes place after chapter 136 of the manga, so if you, unlike me, dislikes spoilers and haven't read so far, there's a handy arrow that'll lead you away from the dark fate of having a story spoiled.**

**ALL THESE ILLOGICAL BEHAVIORS**

Thirty-seven bottles of beer on the wall, thirty-seven bottles of beer. You drink one up... ugh, who am I kidding?

Tsuruga Ren did his best not to yet again pick up his cell phone despite knowing it was only a matter of seconds before he would, compelled as he was to look up Kyoko's name and number over and over again. Who knew a night could be so long, a body so filled with pain... a mind so filled with regret?

Ren sighed and found himself reading Kyoko's name in his cell phone's phonebook. So he took it after all. Figures. Not that he could call. If eleven pm had been too late, then three forty am was too early. Putting the phone aside for the umpteenth time Ren rolled over to the other side of the King size- bed. His worry caused him to go hot and cold, making the linen end up in a cold, wet mess. This was his third time switching sides already and he knew it wouldn't be the last.

I have to sleep. I got work tomorrow, I always got work tomorrow. I can't remember exactly what and Yashiro wasn't in the mood to remind me, but I know I have work tomorrow. I must sleep. Just like a professional does....

I really don't deserve the happiness love brings.

And this self-pity and regret won't help me at all.

Ren opened his eyes, unaware that he had closed them to begin with and found himself staring at his cell phone – or rather the name "Kyoko" and the number to her cell phone. There it was in his right hand, and he didn't even know he had turned over and reached for it. Was this also, along with the forceful pain, an unavoidable part of love? If so, Ren there and then decided not to accept the fate of having to spend the night like this.

Fed up with himself, the sticky linen and with his new cell phone-obsession Ren rushed out of bed and into the bathroom. He couldn't take a shower out of respect for his neighbors, but he used the sink to freshen up as much as possible before he returned to the bedroom and slipped into some comfortable and warm clothes. What he was about to do now was stupid, but it would at least be a change from the stupid stuff he'd done the past few hours. The joy of variation and all that.

The hall felt cold and Ren couldn't stop a shiver when he put on his jacket and shoes. His car keys were in his jacket and the cell phone –

Ren turned around and threw a glance towards his bedroom, knowing he should go get the now annoying object. Not that anyone would call, but it was good to have in case of an emergency. It was also a good excuse for him to take off his clothes and return to bed. Determined Ren turned back towards the door and opened it – and slapped his hand over his heart to quell its sudden jump at the sight of the dark figure sitting in the hallway across his door. In the faint light from his hallway all he could see of the huddle was short, dark hair, and arms and legs clad in a screaming pink. A basket stood placed in front of the huddle, and the huddle itself seemed to be snoring.

"M- Mogami-san?" Ren asked, perplex.

At the sound of her name the huddle transformed. The hair rose and revealed a very sleepy face and eyelids so heavy they could hardly be counted as open. It was the face of a girl who'd been crying herself to sleep.

"Yes, I will soon." The huddle assured Ren in a drowsy voice and then promptly fell over on her side, outstretched, and returned to the land of dreams.

"Wh – hey – Mogami-san! Mogami-san!" Ren called her name a few times, but low so that he wouldn't wake the neighbors up. It wasn't until he found himself staring at her still puffy and slightly red cheeks Ren realized he had kneeled next to Kyoko and was already stretching his arms out so he could pick her up. Ren froze.

Once again he had moved despite himself, despite logic and before thinking. That was dangerous, but –

I don't know why she came here or how long she's been here... but what can I do but to lift her up and take her inside?

Careful not to hurt or wake up his precious cargo, Ren took Kyoko in his arms and carried her gently into his home. Without removing his shoes, he put her on the couch (since the sweaty bed was out of the question). Then he returned out in the hallway to fetch the mysterious basket. Despite his curiosity, Ren simply placed the basket in the kitchen, hoping it wouldn't be spoiled – whatever it was. After removing his own shoes and jacket Ren carefully took off Kyoko's shoes, an act that made him almost feel like a villain of sorts. But it wasn't as if he was going to undress her completely! Mindful of Kyoko's needs of comfort, Ren fetched a blanket and covered her sleeping form up.

Knowing he himself would not find any sleep in his bed despite the calmness his heart received due to her sleeping presence, Ren decided to pull forth a comfortable chair and await his princess' waking hour. After all, if she was to wake up without him being there, she might be frightened.

But on the other hand, wouldn't seeing him make her not only frightened but terrified? He had seen her inch away from him in fear before – even run away from him – and it wasn't something his heart could handle right now.

God, what was he supposed to do?

Looking at the delicate young woman's relaxed face, Ren muttered to himself: "Kyoko-chan, why did you come here? In the middle of the night none the less."

The basket.

Still with his gaze on his stubborn loved one, Ren already felt his curiosity battle with his duty as a gentleman. It was clear that Kyoko had come to him with the intention of leaving the basket to him, but since she technically hadn't done that yet – should he really?

"Cupcakes, fairy-godmother!" said a slurred, cute voice before Kyoko turned over in the couch and continued her dream.

Ren stiffened up and made a hasty retreat to the kitchen, one hand carefully clasped over his mouth. She did not say that, she couldn't have said that, there's NO WAY –

"Pffff!"

He couldn't help himself but to laugh. It was so typical her! And Ren had to admit it gave ease to his heart to see that the very girl who'd been crying herself to sleep found such comfort in his home... or, well, the hotel rooms he called home.

How strange. Nothing was solved yet. He was still the most stupid man alive, but everything felt better, brighter, more promising.... just because he had Kyoko here with him. The power of love sure had its magic. And on that note... the power of love compels me, Ren thought, and went to rummage through the mysterious basket.

The basket was covered with a piece of cloth – a towel used for dish washing, as it turned out. Ren neatly pulled the cloth off and lay it aside, listening carefully for sounds from the living room, but all that could be heard was the gentle humming from the lit lamp and a soft rustle from a folded note that fell out of place along with the cloth. Ren picked the note up, but before he could decide wether to unfold it or not, his eyes caught the sight of himself. Literally.

_Dolls??_

Ren knew about Kyoko's handcrafting skills since he'd seen the big Ren-doll Maria-chan received during the "Thank-you" party the two girls conducted. Had it been anyone else making a doll like that, Ren would have felt resentment and quite a good deal of fright. Maria-chan had however talked to Ren about Kyoko's way of using dolls in voodoo but also for company before, so he managed to hide most of his chock. Especially since that doll that time had been a gift for Maria-chan who everyone knew was in childish love with him, so it was made for a special occasion and for a special person.

He hadn't known Kyoko had more dolls looking like him.

Spellbound by this discovery Ren lifted the small figure for a closer inspection. The face of this doll had a small, neural smile but the doll's eyes were sharp and piercing from behind slightly closed eyelids. That look combined with the doll's crossed arms showed clearly that this doll, despite the smile, wasn't happy AT ALL about its current situation... or with whomever it was staring at. And since Ren easily could recognize his clothing from the day before, it wasn't hard to figure out who had been on the other end of that glare.

_So that's what she saw.... well, that's a spirit-sinker for sure..._

Feeling he had gotten out as much as he could from that doll, Ren put it back in the basket and took a look at the rest. There was a doll of Director Ogata, of Yashiro-san, one looking like that Hikaru-guy and some of other men and women Ren did not recognize. One of them, however, was faceless. The body, clothes and her hair was all neatly fixed, but she didn't have any face on. That was strange. Even stranger were the last two dolls: one was of Kyoko herself, wearing the pink uniform and a sign hung around her neck saying: "I'm stupid". The Kyoko-doll did not look at all like the original; it was actually rather poorly made and resembled a stuffed animal more than a doll, but since the black hair was short and not long, it simply had to be Kyoko and not the other Love-me member, Kotonami-san. The last figure was however as easily recognized as it was surprising: a detailed and accurate doll of Bo, the chicken Ren had come to become somewhat friends with.

So the basket was out in the open, but Ren was none the wiser. That only left the note. Ren took the double-folded note, but hesitated. He could always say that he dropped the basket or that it fell over and thus he saw the dolls, but since the note wouldn't unfold by itself there was no good way of explaining why he'd red it – unless he had been snooping. Concerning his bad behavior so far, Ren really couldn't add that to his list. If he did that, Kyoko would never open up to him again... wouldn't trust him.

He had to show her that he was a better man than he appeared to be.

Ren put the note back on top of the small dolls and covered the whole set with the cloth again before he switched off the humming lamp and let the darkness engulf him. He didn't need any light to find his way to the chair he had decided on before. Stealthily, quietly, did Ren move the chair across the floor and placed it close to the couch. Despite knowing it was indecent of him, Ren took his time to let his eyes get used to the darkness – by watching Kyoko. It wasn't until he could see all her soft, facial features Ren sat down on the chair and allowed himself to relax a bit.

Author: Oh, what's in a note...!?


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: A girl named SUE will never visit me, for I take no credit, nor do I claim to own Skip Beat!**

During this fan fiction I will alter between referring to the characters by first and last name, with and without –san, –chan and -senpai. This is because I want the reader to feel close or distanced to the characters depending on the situation. If it's too annoying, please tell me.

**SPOILER WARNING! This fan fiction takes place after chapter 136 of the manga, so if you, unlike me, dislikes spoilers and haven't read so far, there's a handy arrow that'll lead you away from the dark fate of having a story spoiled**.

**ALL OF US INSIDE OF ME ACCEPTS THE ONE THEY SEEM TO BE**

A shrill sound abruptly woke Ren from his sleep and made him sit up too fast, causing little stars to appear before his eyes. He had low blood pressure again, probably low blood sugar too. The shrill sound was heard again and Ren realized it was his cell phone – _probably Yashiro calling_ – but why wasn't it next to his bed as it should be? The sound seemed to come from another room, the same room that light thumping sound had just disappeared into – _what was that by the way?_ The third time the shrill sound began, it was interrupted and silenced by a hushed voice that clearly belonged to a woman.

_Woman. Kyoko, no, Mogami-san!_

Ren threw the blanket he was covered with away and quickly rose from the couch, puzzled about how he had ended up there but deciding that would be a riddle for a while. He strode across the living room but came to a halt in the doorway to the bedroom. Mogami-san stood bent over his nightstand, his cell phone pressed to her ear and her right hand busy with scribbling notes on the Love-me – pointpad.

"So this morning's appointment is postponed one hour and lunch will be eaten while given time. Sure. I'll tell him that. Yes. Yes, he'll pick you up in good time, I'll make sure of it. Yes. Yes, you too, Yashiro-san."

Finishing the sentence, Kyoko snapped the cell phone shut, put it back on the nightstand and visibly jerked at the sight of Ren. Immediately she fell into what Ren called "professional but terrified mode", standing straight with both feet placed firmly on the ground and her arms straight alongside her body.

"Tsuruga-senpai! I, Mogami Kyoko, greet you this morning!" Here Kyoko bowed deeply with her hands clasped together, emphasizing her lower rank. Before Ren had a chance to respond to her Kyoko continued, her voice strung high and forceful.

"Yesterday proved I have yet many things to improve in my own persona before I reach your level, Tsuruga-senpai. And even though I'm sure your disappointment in me is great, I ask of you to let me redeem and explain my mistake and – ah!" A sudden thought made Kyoko blush and change her tone. "It would be great if it could be done during breakfast, since it seems we are both on a tight schedule... um... and...I've already set the table..."

If Kyoko had asked Ren to do the balloon dance using not blown ballons with that face, he would have. Somehow all the awkwardness that should have prevented this situation from ever taking place dissolved and Ren found himself gulping down a nutritious and delicious breakfast minutes later, entertained by Kyoko's doll play.

**//////////Skip to my Ren, my darling.///////////////**

"...so I saw who it was, the bully, but because of that maneuver I injured my hand... Hikaru-san wanted to know who it was, but that's my business, so I made him promise to leave things be. And then my hand got worse during the show, so..."

Kyoko took both her doll and the "Bo"-doll and placed them one before the other. Ren had managed not to show any of his flaring emotions when this truth had been revealed and now he was grateful for that. Knowing Mogami-san, she had only kept him in the dark out of both kindness and fear. And after all, didn't he do the same concerning who he really was?

Knowing Kyoko awaited some kind of response Ren simply nodded to show that he was following her story. Shyly Kyoko continued.

"What Hikaru-san doesn't know is that I, despite being cast the main role in "Box R", also have a mission as a "Love Me"-member." Kyoko lifted the faceless doll and looked at it with sad eyes. "This person... this bully of mine... has a very tragic background story. She should have become a celebrated star long ago, but due to an unfortunate accident she was held back in different ways. The President himself asked me to find the one that needed most help in "Box R" and then help her, and to me, it can only be this girl he meant." Kyoko put the doll back on the table and sighed dejectedly.

"Tsuruga-senpai..." Ren harkened to his name being said, and despite his want to inquire who this girl really was he kept his silence and let Kyoko speak. "Maybe I'm being too self assured... but I really feel like I can help her. Because... she's almost like Mio." Kyoko lifted her head to meet Ren's gaze and Ren was captured by the pure honesty shining in her eyes. It was clear that Kyoko really had thought this through.

"In what way is she like Mio?" Ren asked and began to remove the plates. Kyoko immediately responded to his questions and actions at once, and while running around in the kitchen tiding things up, she said:

"Both of them were born to be beautiful, young girls, popular and successful. But misfortune struck and because they weren't given the aid they needed – excuse me, should these plates be here? Thank you. – they developed dark sides inside themselves. From absolute light they went into a world of anger and...despair..."

Kyoko fell silent as the same thought struck both her and Ren.

_Just like how it was for Kyoko herself._

And suddenly Ren saw another aspect of the woman he so much loved; the one that desperately fought against this pit of darkness. Startled Ren realized he had never thought of how much Kyoko had to struggle with herself because of Sho's betrayal. He had disliked her thoughts of revenge, disliked her obsession with the now hated singer and openly approved when Kyoko had altered her ways along his desires. But how hard had it been for her? How many dark feelings did she have to quell all on her own... and how much harder did these dark roles make it for her?

_She said she wanted to be part of my strength... But why haven't I tried to become part of hers? I've only been obsessed with how I could ever make her see that being loved by me and being in love with me would be quite alright – if in ever so small steps. That symbolic rose with the expensive diamond hidden... I was hoping she'd use it as jewelry, so that she'd have to explain that it was hidden inside a gift from me – just so people would get that she's spoken for. _

Kyoko suddenly made a little gasp and said: "Tsuruga-san, we need to hurry! Otherwise we'll be late – um - that is if you'll allow me to ride with you." Kyoko finished, letting her voice trail off.

"Of course I will. What kind of senpai would I be if I was to refuse my kohai aid in times of need?" Ren joked.

**///////////////Skip to my Ren, my darling!//////////////////**

The car-ride to first pick up Yashiro-san and then continue to LME was pleasant. Within Tsuruga Ren, nothing of yesterday's anger was left. He knew now that Hikaru-san was interested, maybe even beyond the point of a prelude to love, with his Kyoko, but that interest wasn't met at all by her. He was but a mere colleague, not even granted with the "-senpai" he himself, Ren, was rewarded with. Kyoko had actually been puzzled as to why Hikaru-san had went beyond himself to attend to their shooting scene. Ren thought of this and much more while Yashiro-san and Kyoko chatted away about this and that, both basking in the wonderful mood.

Inside the LME-building, Kyoko politely bowed to Ren and Yashiro-san and had already begun to leave when she suddenly halted and turned back. With stomping steps she went straight to Ren, reached inside her basked – which she of course had brought along – and pulled out the note. Using both hands she offered it to Ren and while once again bowing, she quickly said:

"Tsuruga-senpai, if it's not too much trouble, can I ask of you to read this note when it's convenient for you?"

If Ren had felt happy before, his eyes now shone with adoration. He very deliberately leaned forward and grasped the note, using both his hands too and making sure to make skin contact with Kyoko. When she raised her head, he smiled at her and said:

"I'll make sure to read it as soon as I can, Mogami-san. Thank you."

"No, thank you!" Kyoko bowed yet again, now blushing, and turned to go to her duties. Ren stood still and followed her with his eyes until she turned a corner. Only then did he allow himself a small, happy sigh and press the note against his heart.

"Oooohhhh.... LOVE LETTER!!!!"

_Forgot about him. Damn._

Ren turned and met Yashiro-sans sparkling eyes. That manager of his was already way off in lala-land and would not return until Ren in detail told him what the note said or better yet, let him read for himself.

Too bad for him that wasn't going to happen.

Carefully putting the note in his pocket, Ren hastily began to walk towards his first workplace for the day, ignoring the questions and squeals coming from his manager, who eagerly voted for an immediate read-through of said note. Yashiro-san couldn't know that Ren already knew what the note said. The words were well preserved in his memory.

**///////////Skip to the night before, my Ren!//////////////**

One can only relax for so long on a chair before getting a taste of wood in one's more private areas, even if one happens to be a well-known actor. So Ren got up again and wandered out in the kitchen again, drawn to the mysterious note despite himself. Somehow 5 am and no sleep made it seem a great idea to read the note after all.

And so he did.

**/////////////// Skip to my Ren, my darling! //////////////////////////**

Lunch was hectic, with Ren and Yashiro-san needing to take a taxi to the location so that Ren would be able to eat something too. And that's when Ren was sneaky enough to lure Yashiro-san to sit in the front seat despite this not being standard at all, claiming he needed space to take a short nap in the back after lunch.

And so, Ren got a chance to once again read the lovely note.

_**Dear Tsuruga Ren.**_

_**I'm sorry I'm using your full name, although I know it's a stage name. I do this because I am writing to the person Tsuruga Ren, not the actor or the senpai you are to me.**_

_**Today you made it clear that I still have much to learn concerning our profession, but also concerning how to treat important relations. Like the one I have with you.**_

_**I remember how upset I got the time you had to prove yourself worthy of your role in "Dark Moon", something everyone but me knew about, and I understand that your fury this time probably was caused by the very same feelings I had back then. Feeling stupid for not being there for you during your hard times. Feeling ignored and pushed aside, being the one left out. And strangely I also felt let down by you, as if you keeping silent about this injured me.**_

_**I know it's imprudent of me to impose my own feelings of you, but if you experienced even one of these emotions or something similar to them, then I can understand why you were upset. And then I can also sincerely apologize. **_

_**Tsuruga Ren. **__**I, Mogami Kyoko, beg you to forgive me for my ignorance. It was never my intention to hurt or anger you. And I hereby promise to do you better, both as a friend and as your kohai. If you will forgive me, that is.**_

Ren folded the note and put it back in his pocket, smiling. It wasn't quite the love-letter Yashiro hoped it was, but to Ren, this was better. Kyoko admitted straight out that she and him had a relation beyond being senpai and kohei, something she actually never herself had mentioned with a word before. Everyone else talked about their good friendship, but Ren knew Kyoko didn't see it as that. Or, at least not until now. And she actually gave him the note despite wanting not to after their reconciliation! That, if something, showed Ren just how important he really was to her.

_It's a beginning. She'll need time to climb up out of her pit of despair, but when she does... I'll be right there waiting for her._

Ren gazed out through the window, still smiling. Looks like it was going to be another beautiful day.

The End.

Author: Oh, what did you think of the note?


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